‘We’re losing people we love’: Frontline staff alarmed after seven suspected overdose deaths in Kingston, Ont.
Health officials in Kingston, Ont. are raising the alarm after an increase in suspected overdose-related deaths.
They say it’s part of a pattern, and something needs to be done to combat the growing trend.
On Thursday, Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health released a statement warning a toxic batch of illicit drugs is making the rounds in the city, and warned of a growing number of overdoses and deaths.
Justine McIsaac, the safe consumption site services coordinator with Kingston Community Health Centres, says their numbers show there have been seven suspected opioid related deaths in the last 13 days alone.
“We’re dealing with a very toxic drug supply in the community right now. We have had a staggering number of overdoses in the community,” McIsaac explains. “We’re responding to multiple on site a day.”
She says the numbers are increasing.
“You could compare this to April of last year and we did not have that many deaths in a month, let a lone a week and a bit,” McIsaac explains.
The drugs are believed to be cut with things like fentanyl, which experts say is up to 100 times stronger than morphine.
Public health is encouraging people to carry naloxone kits and say not to use alone.
“We’re losing people we love and care about,” says McIsaac. “People in this community are being ripped apart by grief and tragedy.”
Susan Stewart is the chair of the drug strategy advisory committee with KFL&A Public Health. She says opioid-related drugs overdoses and deaths have seen a dramatic rise since the start of the pandemic across the province.
“This is a silent epidemic,” she says. “We’ve had more people who have died from accidental opioid poisonings than we have had due to COVID.”
Stewart says the best way forward is a review of policies by all levels of government.
“Decriminalizing personal amounts of substances I think is an important step forward and would send a strong message to those in the community who use drugs that we know this is a health issue, not a criminal issue,” she says.
McIsaac agrees, and says policies are failing those who are most vulnerable.
“We’re losing young lives that deserve far more than what we have given to them.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.